New Life (a Tensei Iida x Fuyumi Todoroki Story)
by Thoth's Quill
Summary: In a regular world, where quirks don't exist, an ex police officer looks for a job to find himself working with children, teaching them science along with someone he just can't fathom until he finally falls in love.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first attempt at a serious BNHA Fanfiction! I really hope you enjoy it! I really liked the pairing of Tensei Iida and Fuyumi Todoroki when I found em on Tumblr so I hope it's to your liking. The world is a regular ol' quirkless AU world where U.A. is a world renowned Sports Academy. Tensei is an ex-cop! Fuyumi's still a teacher!**

 **Hope you love it!**

 **TQ Out!**

* * *

Tensei Iida grunted as he hauled his broken legs off the bed that fateful morning. The rays of the sun glistened idyllically through the window over his bedroom. His little brother, Tenya, was already up and about, ready to tackle the world. As the class representative of Class 1-A of the sports school, Unity Academy, also known as U.A., a school that housed one of the world's most gifted athlete students, Tenya was a strict one. He couldn't help but chuckle as he heard his little brother putter about the house.

Tensei gazed at the wall. Honorable discharge from active duty from the Police for acts of valor and bravery. Or something like that, as the unit chief told him. His badge lay on the bedside table. His gun in the bedside table's drawer. Tensei slowly reached out for the wheelchair next to him when he heard the knock on his door. Tenya. "Tensei!" Tenya called out. "Are you OK in there? Have you slept well?" He was loud in the morning. Then again, Tensei hadn't particularly been a morning person himself.

"I'm fine!" he called back, voice reassuring. "Just getting into the chair. Give me a minute and I'll be right out.

"OK!" Tenya replied before sprinting off to get his toast and jam. Bread sliced just so. That was Tenya for you. Everything had to be just so. Tensei couldn't help but chuckle thinking about it. His brother was an endearing stickler.

After having freshened and dressed up, Tensei wheeled himself to the door, unlocked it, and then wheeled out the wide corridor up to the dining room. "Almost ready for the big move?" He asked cheerfully. "Everything's packed, right?" After a rogue terrorist attack on one of the U.A. Students, an irate bratty sort, by the name of Katsuki Bakugo, U.A. regulations now required their students to move in onto campus for greater security.

Tenya nodded, taking a bite of his toast, before washing it down with some orange juice. "Yes, Tensei! Everything is ready. I and Ms. Yaoyurozu have taken every painstaking effort imaginable to make sure that the students have an easy transition."

"You can call her by her first name, y'know. You two have been beating around the bush for a while." Tensei pointed out, much to Tenya's chagrin.

"I-it's nothing like that," Tenya replied, dropping his toast on his plate for a minute to gesticulate his disapproval of the direction this conversation was now going.

"Well, I always thought you and Momo would go together, considering how you two are essentially the de facto parents of your class." Tensei replied with an inelegant snort. There was a short pause as Tenya considered his words carefully.

"I honestly don't know who I like." He said simply after a moment before taking another bite into the toast.

"Right" Tensei mused. "Midoriya did say something about the engineering student taking a liking to your enthusiasm in the PT area."

"You mean Ms. Hatsume? I'm sure she's being perfectly professional." Tenya dismissed, even though a bead of sweat belied his thoughts to Tensei, who smiled wide. Prospects of romance. And poor Tenya didn't know who to love. Tenya did, of course, care for all of his friends. It was the giving person he was. He was taught to be caring and kind. Their parents had made sure to instill such good values. But where did care end and love begin? Tenya didn't even know. To be fair, neither did Tensei, but he did smile.

"Well, mom and dad are out right now but you know what they'd say." He pointed out.

"You'll know when you love someone." Tenya echoed the words his mother regularly mentioned to Tensei. Their parents had never been ones for arranged marriages. Tensei was glad about that.

Tenya was quick to finish up his toast and chug down the rest of his orange juice. He got to his feet before moving to his brother who sat in his wheelchair. "Should I take you to the station?" he asked.

"Might as well. At this point I should probably start looking for other jobs." Tensei replied. "I know the precinct says I can return as soon as the doctors say I'm able but at this point I wouldn't mind leading a more relaxed life. I have you following in my footsteps after all." He replied proudly, ruffling Tenya's hair. The tall teenager couldn't help but grin.

"You're always an inspiration, Tensei. No matter what, you always manage to show me the best path to be the very best so I can help people. I will not fail you."

"You've got it wrong again, little brother!" Tensei chided. "I keep telling you this. Do this for yourself, not for me. Whatever you do, don't fail yourself." He told him. "Now c'mon. Let's get to the station. The cab you called should be here any minute."

"How did you know I called a cab, brother?" Tenya asked, confused.

"You're a meticulous one, Tenya." He replied with a chuckle.

* * *

The ride to the station was relatively quiet. As the two made their way into the train, Tenya couldn't help but blink back tears. As they reached the station closest to U.A., Tenya leaned down and hugged his brother tight. "I'll miss you." He said, for a moment, being vulnerable. "I'll miss mom and dad too." He whispered softly.

"Do me proud." He replied, ruffling his hair. "And be home for Christmas, for crying out loud." He added with a chuckle. Tenya lifted his suitcase and nodded, smiling, blinking back a tear behind his glasses.

"Goodbye, Tensei!" He said, leaving. Tensei waved good bye before sighing when the doors closed. As Tenya left, he saw her. The woman who almost missed the train. White hair, like snow, with flecks of red in it. Her luggage would've been stuck but Tensei managed to get her little backpack in before the doors closed.

"Oh! Get off-!" she thought she was being mugged for a second. Then she noted the well-dressed man in the wheelchair. Then she noted how a strap of her backpack was stuck in the door, which means she could now only tug it in after the door opened again. She blinked, before turning to him, her face reddening slightly in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were going to steal that!" she said. "I hope I didn't offend you!"

"No, not at all! Random stranger grabbing a bag in the middle of a train. Honestly I didn't know what I was thinking." Tensei replied with a calm smile. "Please! Have a seat!" There was an empty seat next to the disabled section in the wheelchair, which had been recently occupied by Tenya. "Tensei Iida."

"Fuyumi Todoroki." She replied with a small, slightly nervous nod.

"Todoroki. Where have I heard that name?" Oh right! Tenya told him that he had a classmate named Shoto. "Are you related to a Shoto Todoroki, by any chance?"

"I'm his sister!" She replied. "Why? Is something wrong?" She looked worried. That brought a frown. Was she nervous about something? Tenya had told him Shoto had been troubled before, but he didn't know what it was that troubled him. But he had also told him since that Shoto had warmed up to the rest of his friends, especially Izuku Midoriya.

"Oh, nothing! My brother mentioned him once. My brother's Tenya Iida. He goes to U.A. Shoto is a classmate of his."

"Oh I know Tenya!" She replied, visibly relaxing. "Good guy, if a bit overenthusiastic" she replied, giving him a slightly awkward, nervous smile.

"I didn't know Shoto had any siblings! It's fantastic to meet you!" He was genuine about it too! She was nice! Rather sweet. He couldn't help but smile as he talked to her. Idly they started chatting on the train until her stop arrived. As he spoke to her, her nervousness seemed to slowly but surely melt away.

"My stop's here" she told him with a smile. "Here." She fumbled as she tore a piece of paper from a notebook she'd fished out of her bag and wrote her number on it. "I'm sure we'll talk more, considering how good friends our siblings are of each other." She smiled wide. "Don't be a stranger, Tensei!"

"I'll try" He replied, with a chuckle, waving goodbye to her.

She was something else, alright. Tensei couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as he read her number. A teacher. Teaching young children no less. He'd wanted to do that before he joined the police academy too. Physics.

Tensei got off at the next stop and wheeled his way into a coffee shop and pulled out his laptop. Accessing the Wi-Fi, he started fishing through various websites, looking for jobs.

Hours passed. The coffee he ordered (black, no sugar, no milk), was gone already. He was quiet. Then his phone buzzed.

[From: Fuyumi Todoroki, 1:34 p.m.]  
"Hello! Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time! Thanks for the company again this morning! I'm just on my lunch break so I decided to see how you were doing. You told me during our talk you were looking for a new job, right? How's that coming along? :) LMK! Bye!"

Tensei gazed at the text before sighing. Why was he smiling this wide? He shrugged but responded.

[From: Tensei Iida, 1:35 p.m.]  
"Hello, Fuyumi! Thanks for the text! And no problem! I've been sitting in this coffee shop, trying to rack my brains as to finding a new job. The Universities don't have a teaching position open and I do want to start teaching. Either Physics or P.E. Before the academy, I did take educational courses so I could learn how to teach, but I also wanted to join the Police Force first. Now that I'm not part of the forces anymore, I want to teach again."

There was a long pause. Was Fuyumi OK? What was going on?!

[From: Fuyumi Todoroki, 1:40 p.m.]  
"You want to be a teacher?! Why didn't you say something sooner?! The school I'm working in is newly opened. We're still looking!"

She took that long to type that? Was she internally debating with herself? Instantly, Tensei replied.

[From: Tensei Iida, 1:41 p.m.]  
"What's the opening?"

[From: Fuyumi Todoroki, 1:41 p.m.]  
"Science teacher!"

[From: Tensei Iida, 1:42 p.m.]  
"Fuyumi Todoroki, you're a lifesaver! I'll visit tomorrow!"

[From: Fuyumi Todoroki, 1:43 p.m.]  
"It's nothing, really! I'll send you the address tonight! Do your best tomorrow, and we'll see if we can't land you that job, huh? :) Hey! I gotta go, one of my students is about to put sand in his mouth and I don't think that's a good idea! Bye, Tensei!"

Tensei snorted and replied.

[From: Tensei Iida, 1:43 p.m.]  
"Go on then! Have fun :)"

The man sighed. This woman really was something, huh? What a stroke of luck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Here's chapter 2! I figured that Tensei is a go-getter kinda person. He wouldn't dilly dally around if given the opportunity to do something with his life. As someone from Sports School U.A., he would take every opportunity life threw his way and he'd make sure he had the ability to take it, so here's him going for his check up. Bits of hope here and there and a good little sub plot that I wanted to add in! You'll see!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TQ Out!**

* * *

Dr. Chiyo Shuzenji was a matronly lady of really short height. If Tensei Iida could stand currently, he'd easily dwarf her. Then again, it wasn't particularly difficult for anyone to dwarf her. And yet no one dared defy her medical authority.

When Tensei entered her office today after exiting the café, he was smiling. Fuyumi's text and the prospect of a new job were fresh on his mind. But he needed medical clearance. If not for protocol's sake, more for his own satisfaction. He was going to work with children. Young ones at that, if Fuyumi's testimonial about the school was anything to go by. Rough housing near a man in a wheelchair would make it difficult for him to heal, logically speaking. Having texted Tenya about the whole idea of the school, telling him everything, it was Tenya that told him to check up with U.A.'s resident doctor.

He gulped. He hadn't been in the austere walls of the Doc's office in months. Despite having graduated from U.A. a while ago, every single U.A. Aluminate swore by Dr. Shuzenji's capabilities as a doctor so far as to only go to her for any medical trouble whatsoever.

"Tensei, dear boy! How good it is to see you!" The short, sweet old lady toddled over to Tensei reaching up with her wrinkled, warm hands and planting a big old kiss on his cheek. Like a grandmother, she spoiled every single one of her patients. Tensei couldn't help but chuckle at her display of matronly affection.

"Heya Doc!" He said cheerfully. "How's Tenya been holding up since the move?"

"Oh never you mind him. All you track-and-fielders are the same!" She chided him with a small smile. "How are your legs, dear?"

"Still aching every day." He said. "I might be getting a job soon and was hoping for some medical advice. Would roughhousing children be a problem?"

The Doctor stared at him. "What's the job?"

"Teacher. Small new school."

She smiled. "Didn't take you for a teaching sort, Tensei," she mused, tilting her head slightly. But then she shrugged. "Judging by how long you've been letting your legs healed, I think you should be fine. In fact, I think you should start exercising those legs again. Physiotherapy time is a wasting, dear boy!" She now chided. "Who knows, maybe by the end of the year you might be able to stand again!" She said cheerfully.

Tensei swallowed as a lump formed in his throat. He could scarcely believe it. "You think so?" he asked her. "I'll be able to stand?"

"Well yes! Naturally! Your body has been healing progressively well and while I wouldn't recommend you returning to active police duty, as I've said innumerable times since your accident, I'm certain you'll be fit to teach even today!" The grin on Tensei's face rivalled the shine of the rising sun. Dr. Shuzenji chuckled. "As for Tenya, he's been adjusting extremely well. I'm more worried about his friend." She mused. "Both Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo are problem children for me. Specially Izuku. I warned him to take up fencing instead of kickboxing, but it seems that he won't budge."

"Tenya has told me about Izuku. He's probably excelled, just like my little brother."

"He has, but still. Speaking of Tenya, I ought to have a word with him about stressing his knee joint too much. I've seen how stiffly he moves on occasion. Be a dear, will you, and give him an earful for me."

"Will do, Doc! Thanks!" Tensei told her, giving her a small wave of his hand as a goodbye.

The man wheeled himself out before pulling out his phone. Time to let his brother know.

[From: Tensei Iida, 3:56 p.m.]  
"I talked to the Doc! Looks like I got the go-ahead!"

[From: Tenya Iida, 3:58 p.m.]  
"That is excellent news! I'm sorry I can't really say much right now. Midoriya's got a black eye and a bruised rib and I'm taking him to the infirmary as we speak!"

[From: Tensei Iida, 3:58 p.m.]  
"Yeah doc told me he took up kickboxing! I still haven't met the kid! Mind if I hang around?"

[From: Tenya Iida, 3:59 p.m.]  
"Sure! I think I see you now!"

"Tensei!" A voice yelled moments later. "HERE!"

Tensei slowly wheeled his way to Tenya, who was dressed in a tank top and running shorts, flanking a very battered, plain looking boy with black hair, and dark green highlights, dressed in athletic shorts and kickboxing gloves. One hand clutched his eye while the other held onto his mouth guard.

"So _you're_ Izuku Midoriya!" Tensei said looking up to him from his seat. "Tenya raves about you every day."

"And why shouldn't I?" Tenya agreed. "You're quite the inspiration! Coming in to U.A. after suffering for months with paralysis, and then building your body up to the point you could kick box? I say that's amazing!"

Izuku's face seemed to bypass pink and go straight to red. "I-it's really nothing," he mumbled halfheartedly.

"Doc seems to think otherwise. She grumbled about you." Tensei joked, causing Izuku to cover his face with a gloved hand in embarrassment. "You've got heart! You'll go places. I'm sure!"

Tenya smiled. "Well, I have to go, Tensei!"

"Bye, Mr. Iida!"

"Please. It's Tensei. Mr. Iida is our dad."

Izuku merely nodded and let out another flustered smile at the lack of formality before heading into Dr. Shuzenji's office for his daily dose of scolding, Tenya in tow. As he wheeled himself off of U.A. campus and into his car and drove home, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia descend over him as he gazed upon the looming edifices of the high school. He was a track and field athlete here, just like his brother Tenya was now. He was sure his trophies here were still on display.

Tensei slowly made his way out of the campus and drove home. The drive was a quiet and introspective one. "Maybe by the end of the year you might be able to stand again!" The words of the good doctor echoed in his mind. There was hope. He could stand again. Things would go back to the way they were. Maybe not immediately. But they would. And he would lead the life he wanted to. Tensei parked his car and managed to get himself out of it and onto his wheelchair without trouble before wheeling himself back into the house and settling himself onto a much more comfortable couch.

[From: Tensei Iida, 4:20 p.m.]  
"Hey Fuyumi! I checked up with my doc! I have the all clear. I'm going to come over tomorrow to the school for a test class if that's OK with the principal."

Minutes passed.

[From: Fuyumi Todoroki. 4:32 p.m.]  
"Hey! Sorry I literally just returned home! OMG that's great! I hope to see you there! I'm sure you'll knock it out of the park!"

Tensei quietly read through the text and nodded. Time to get focused.

Pulling out various science textbooks on his phone he started brushing up on the knowledge he was soon supposed to impart on the new younglings of Tokyo. He was going to put his heart and soul into his new job, just like he did with his old one.

* * *

The morning had snuck up on Tensei as he lay on his couch, snoring softly. The rays of the sun pierced through the window, merrily stabbing at his eyes to force him to awaken. Unlike his brother, Tenya, Tensei was no early riser. Not completely anyways. And yet, it was seven in the morning and here he lay, lazily rubbing his eyes. "Shit" he mumbled softly sitting up on the couch before slowly hauling himself onto his wheelchair.

Quietly he wheeled his way to the bathroom to freshen up and search for what he hoped would be a good full sleeved shirt and a clean pair of trousers. He'd found them in his closets after a few minutes of rummaging. He looked through his texts for the address Fuyumi had given him and it turned out she'd texted him in the middle of the night under the pretext of wishing him luck one final time.

Tensei was ready to go within the next half hour. The ride to the school was uneventful and the school itself looked unremarkable, and quaint. Out of the way, and with children filing in from the school buses. One kid, a tiny six year old had fallen over and started to cry. One of the bigger children made his way to him and started to kick him lightly, as he was down. Frowning, Tensei wheeled himself over to them and gently but firmly grabbed the bully by his arm. "Hey. Knock it off, kiddo. That isn't right."

"What're _you_ gonna do, huh? You don't even stand good!" the kid retorted before kicking the smaller kid one last time and sprinting away. Ouch. That was rude! Right that kid was going to get detention. For now, though he gently helped up the little one.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Genji Saito," the boy mumbled. "Sorry," he added, assuming he was in trouble.

"What for? It wasn't your fault."

"Yugi's mean. Every time he bullies me, he then somehow makes it my fault so the teachers are always mad at me," Genji explained, rubbing tears from his eyes. The kid pouted.

"Don't worry, Genji. Go on inside. I'll have a word with 'em."

It turned out that the entire exchanged hadn't gone unnoticed. Dressed in a magenta shirt and jeans, Fuyumi Todoroki had made her way from her car up to him. "What you did was good. Genji always had problems with Yugi." She explained, startling Tensei for a second who turned to her, smiling.

"Mn. Well, I hope it ends soon."

"Something tells me it will," she said thoughtfully. The two of them slowly made their way into the school as they amiably chatted.

* * *

[From: Tensei Iida, 9:36 a.m.]  
"I'm in! I'm a teacher now! Can't talk because I'm gonna start teaching today, but I'm in!"

[From: Tenya Iida, 9:37 a.m.]  
"I'm sure you will be an excellent teacher, mentor and role model!"

[From: Tensei Iida, 9:37 a.m.]  
"Jeez you sound like my unit chief all of a sudden LOL. I'll talk to you later! Run fast!"

[From: Tenya Iida, 9:38 a.m.]  
"Finish strong!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey fellas! Here we go! This chapter idea was also a spur of the moment thing. IDK why I decided to go this route but the food route is always cute. I thought you'd all like this! :) I hope it's good! Lots of love!**

 **TQ Out!**

* * *

The first day of teaching didn't seem that bad. Hell, it was honestly quite easy considering Tensei was teaching only first and second graders, which meant he didn't have to brush up on much. Occasionally the principal would come in to check on him and see how he was doing but apart from that he seemed to have a handle on things. The only incident he could think of was when Yugi decided to pick on Genji. This time, Tensei was ready for it and punished the boy with a time out, much to the chagrin, shame and indignation of Yugi. Who was this new man who dared ruin his perfect little kingdom?

Either way, things seemed smooth until lunch. Tensei slowly made his way to the teacher's lounge after dismissing the class for lunch. He usually ate alone. He had been doing so ever since he'd been taken out of duty. Tenya was always at U.A., after all. Tensei didn't really mind. But it did get quiet. He gazed down at his bento box. Sushi rolls. Something standard. Boring enough. He might have to get noodles sometime. He needed to learn how to cook better. Either way, for now, this would do. He was about to start when the lounge door opened again.

"Hello!" Fuyumi's voice floated over, nervous but still friendly. "I hope your first day went well? Genji and Yugi weren't much trouble, were they?"

"Oh the day went fine!" Tensei reassured with his trademark friendly grin. "Honestly, I didn't do all that much. I taught the lesson, then the kids tired themselves out trying to do a scientific experiment." He explained, an easy chuckle escaping his lips.

"Oh! Well I'm glad!" Fuyumi chirped. "Is the seat next to you taken? Or do you eat alone usually?"

"I usually eat alone, but I wouldn't mind good company," he replied, the amiable grin widening ever so slightly. It was a genuine honest smile.

"Thanks," Fuyumi made her way to the chair near him and settled in, after having set the tray she was holding in her hands on the coffee table before her. Once settled, she picked it back up. On the tray was a bowl of noodles.

"Oh! noodles, huh? Didn't know the cafeteria served that!"

"Oh, our school is affiliated to U.A." she replied immediately. "I made sure of that, considering both my brother and my father are U.A. Alumini."

"What does… that have to do with the noodles?" Clearly, Tensei was confused.

"Don't you know? Lunch Rush Catering serves the food for U.A.'s cafeteria. We managed to get it to cater for us too!" She sounded genuinely pleased about this. "Shoto swears by the lunch rush noodles, so I decided to try it today."

"I'd try some too, but I don't have a bowl at hand." He said with a little chuckle.

Instead he picked up the chopsticks and went back to the sushi rolls. He chewed on one, gazing thoughtfully at her. Fuyumi, meanwhile slurped up a bit of the noodles and swallowed. However, there was one bit of it dangling from the corner of Fuyumi's lips. Tensei couldn't help but chuckle. Then he snorted. Then he burst into a bit of laughter, much to her confusion.

"I-is everything alright? What's so funny? Hey!" she gently nudged his shoulder as he limply reclined against his wheelchair, openly laughing.

"One second" he managed to breathe before sitting up, grinning. He pointed at the corner of his own lips. "You've got a li'l bit of noodle stuck to you."

"Oh!" Fuyumi's face reddened almost immediately, embarrassed as she was. Quickly she flicked her tongue out and slurped that last pesky bit of noodle, before sheepishly grinning back.

"Uhh… still." Tensei said, before licking his thumb lightly and reaching over to dab the corner of her lip, where the noodle had left a stain of liquid. He quickly picked up a napkin after and cleaned his thumb too.

Fuyumi was stunned. It seemed that Tensei was rather open and relaxed when it came to social norms. Fuyumi couldn't help but let her blush deepen to a much deeper shade of pink.

Tensei looked to her, now confused by her silence. "Hey, is everything OK?"

"Oh—n-nothing! It's nothing!" She reassured hastily, flashing him a small if slightly flustered smile. "I just… didn't really expect of you to be so forward and relaxed."

"Tenya is the stricter one of us, really." Tensei explained. "And Tenya used to do the same thing you just did, except he did it with orange juice. Force of habit got the better of me, I guess." He replied, realizing what she was getting at, and smiling sheepishly at her. "Besides, we're friends, right? Friends gotta help each other out!"

She couldn't help but laugh a little, but she did nod, smiling an earnest smile. It was a beautiful smile. Tensei had no shame admitting that. She was sweet. Nice, even. And now that he was sharing lunch with her and enjoying his company with her, it made him feel good to make her smile.

Tensei nodded too, and went back to his sushi. He got through a couple of rolls before Fuyumi lightly nudged his elbow with hers. He looked up.

Not saying a word, Fuyumi held out her bowl to him.

"What's up?"

"You wanna try some noodles?" She asked. She was still red. Her voice was soft, as if she was nervous to ask. He couldn't help but silently 'aww' at her sweet gesture.

"OK, you're the boss. But if I do, you've gotta have one of my sushi rolls. Fair trade?"

Fuyumi nodded, now smiling wide as he took the bowl from her, handed her his bento box and slurped some of the noodles. They were spicy. Very spicy. Tensei didn't do spicy. Not well anyways. He thanked his stars that she was busy savoring the sushi, so she didn't notice how red in the face he'd become. Or how much he was now sweating. As she looked up, he put on a brave face and gave her a strained smile.

"How was the sushi?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh it was good but… you seem… are you ok?!" Her words trailed off as her expression turned from happy, then nervous and finally one of panic! "Oh my god! Oh no! Tensei! I'm so sorry!" She fussed as she hurriedly got up and sped over to the water fountain. Unable to hold himself, Tensei let out his tongue, trying to cool it down as he panted.

"Hot! Hot, hot!" He breathed, panting hard, as Fuyumi returned with a large glass of water for him. Tensei immediately chugged it, and panted, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. Moments passed as Fuyumi shrunk into the corner of the teacher's lounge, scared of his reaction.

Tensei panted and coughed for a good half minute before raising his hand in a thumbs up to her.

Then he broke into a laugh. "Oh wow! I didn't expect you to eat noodles this spicy!" He said with a chuckle. "Jeez! You shoulda said something!" He told her. "I expected you having more of a sweet tooth, if I'm honest."

"Oh?" She asked, now curious, but still nervous as she slowly made her way back to her seat. "W-well what made you think that?" She asked, now tilting her head slightly.

"I 'unno." He admitted. "You've been really nice to me this entire time. And to top it off, you're sweet as a person, as it is." He explained. He didn't seem to even skip a beat with his complimenting.

Fuyumi's face turned scarlet as she buried it in her palms. "Oh you're just saying that to make me feel better! I feel so bad for the noodles! I really am so sorry!" She groaned, frustrated at her own idiocy for not asking him first if he was OK with spicy food.

Tensei could only chuckle. Slowly rolling his way to her, he put a strong, firm yet gentle and warm hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's OK!" He said, voice soft, but kind. "It was an honest mistake, Fuyumi!"

"Y-you sure?"

Tensei nodded. "Mmhm. Buuut… there is one thing."

"Wh-what's wrong?" She asked, eyes slightly wide as she gazed at him.

"If you _really_ want to make it up to me, after school is out, we're going to get us some ice cream. I won't take no for an answer either. Deal?" Whatever chances Fuyumi had of letting her blush fade were gone. Instantly. Now she was really red. Crimson. She buried her face in her hands again and whined softly.

"But I feel bad!"

"Think of it as a punishment. No one should stand being around me for too long. I know I can't," he joked. Tensei was quick to quip about his broken legs. But this made Fuyumi huff and pout, before she reached out and halfheartedly smacked his shoulder.

"Hey! That's not a nice thing to say about yourself Tensei Iida!" she muttered, frowning. The display was _meant_ to be frightening and intimidating and if Tensei Iida had been a first grader, he'd be shaking in his boots right now. However, Tensei Iida was no first grader. He was an ex-cop turned science teacher that had taken a liking to a beautiful woman that he now wanted to get to know better.

"Yeah, well in that case you can punish me. I _hate_ ice cream." He replied, a wide, cheeky grin on his lips now.

Her façade of grumpiness broke down as she finally devolved into giggles. "Fine. We'll do it your way. We get ice cream after school."

"Good!" He replied, finally finishing the last of his sushi. He waited for her to finish her noodles, which she did, a few minutes before the bell.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. It wasn't until evening that he got to see her once more. And sure. He was a man that smiled a fair amount. He was happy, relaxed and rather endearing as a person. But if someone who knew Tensei, like Tenya, saw him now, they'd know something was going on. It wasn't every day that Tensei Iida smiled this wide. He couldn't help it, though, could he?

As he made his way down the ramp next to the stairs at the entrance of the school, he found Fuyumi waiting for him. She fell into step behind him and grabbed the handles of his wheelchair.

"Are you sure you wanna push me? I've become a bit of a fatty since I got myself into this mess." He pointed out. He was nowhere _near_ actually being fat. But he liked to poke fun at himself. Make the best out a bad situation.

Fuyumi huffed and slapped his shoulder. Lightly. Once again. "Do I have to keep telling you to not joke about yourself like that?" She hissed, her voice a mix between irritated and amused.

"Well I suppose this means more punishment. Like another day of ice cream." He suggested.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop herself from smiling. "I've never seen a man hunger for punishment like you do, Tensei." She replied with a little laugh as she made her way with him to the ice cream parlor down the street.

It wasn't long before the ice cream visit became a daily tradition. Every day Tensei and Fuyumi would eat lunch. Every day he'd make some sort of joke about his condition. And every day she'd 'punish' him by taking him to the ice cream parlor down the street. They became regulars. And they became good friends as such.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hullo! Sorry for the extremely long wait** **! I know it's been a while but between college finals, and a few other things, I've been kinda swamped! I promise that I'm not dead!**

I hope you enjoy! It might be slightly longer, but it's good, I swear! I'd appreciate any constructive criticisms! Please feel free to leave them in the review and I'll be sure to take them into consideration for the next chapter. Writing, for me, is all about improvement and I'm glad to follow on that road to the best of my ability. I do have a short term plan for where the story's going to go, but honestly, it's up in the air as to the actual ending! I'll figure something out though!

Anyways! I'm rambling! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

TQ Out!

* * *

They held cuddled for the first time. It was after months of knowing each other. The first three months had come and gone and winter had already set in. Tensei found himself eating lunch with her every day, managing to somehow get used to the spicy noodles that she brought over from the cafeteria. He swore since that first day to always bring some milk over along with a bowl so he could have some noodles with her, _and_ not suffer the consequences for it. A win-win in his book, and a godsend come winter, as the spicy noodles, which is something he was slowly but surely starting to get used to, was _definitely_ doing a brilliant job keeping the wheelchair bound man warm.

Unfortunately for them, they had to forego their tradition of ice cream, considering how cold it was, and instead they began to idly roam the city together, with Fuyumi occasionally pushing his wheelchair for him, much to his chagrin. He'd insist regularly to let him push the wheelchair himself, but she would end up having none of it whatsoever.

It turned out that Fuyumi had a habit of doting on her friends. Growing up with a father who didn't care much for her success and her as a person as much as he cared for the success of her younger brother Shoto, even without giving a damn about his emotional wellbeing, Fuyumi found solace in friendships. With Tensei it was deeper. She was comfortable with him in a fundamental way that she hadn't felt in her life with anyone, except perhaps her siblings. However, to say that he was like a brother to her wasn't an honest truth. She couldn't see him like that, for some reason. Perhaps it was how Tensei's honest smile and his laid back nature brightened her day and put her mind at ease. Or maybe it was how his constant, warm presence gave her a sense of security that she never got from her own father or her mother, who was abused to the point of being committed. She felt at peace with him. With their daily rituals of teasing, eating together, spending time and essentially enjoying each other's company. She'd look forward to seeing the man every day, with that cheerful smile plastered on his face, with not a care in the world, despite his own condition. It made her feel a warmth in her chest she never dared try to explain to herself lest it decide to leave.

Tensei on the other hand felt protective of her. He would go out of his way to make sure that everything was just right for her. He was doting in his own way, of course and he made sure she was treated right, no matter what. Any friend of his deserved the best. That's how he'd been with his old friend and current teacher to Tenya, Shouta Aizawa. That's how he'd been with Hizashi Yamada, Tenya's other teacher. They'd all gone to U.A.'s Sports program together, Aizawa specializing in Parkour while Hizashi ended up specializing in, funnily enough, band. While he shared the same sense of camaraderie with Fuyumi, there was a touch of fondness he had with her that he couldn't quite place. Like she was someone to cherish and protect, but at the same time someone to help in any way possible.

It was a quiet evening. Last day of School before the Winter Break set in. Tensei grabbed his phone to start texting his brother, as he had promised, to tell him that he was about to start for home. However, before he could send his text, Fuyumi called out. "Tensei! Wait!" He was near his car when she did. So he stopped rolling over to the car door and turned his wheelchair around to face her. There, not too far from him, dressed in her usual jeans, a puffy red jacket and a pink beanie was Fuyumi. Honestly Tensei was just as heavily bundled. It was a disturbingly cold day and it looked like there was a Russian cold front heading their way soon too. His own navy blue hoodie did a decent job protecting him from the cold.

"What's up, Fuyumi?" He asked, that amiable grin playing on his lips as he rolled over to her. "Need some help?"

"No, but I was wondering about something." She told him. She seemed to hesitate.

Fuyumi hesitated because she was worried about his response, but she steeled herself. If he said yes, he said yes and that would be that. If not, at least she could say she gave it a college try.

"You aren't busy today, are you?" She asked, hesitation still dripping from her voice.

"No, not really! Something up?" he replied, leaning forward, interest piqued.

Fuyumi gave him an awkward shrug of a reply. "No, not really. It's just that usually, the family and I watch movies together on the first day of winter break but seeing as how I've moved out and the relationship between my father and my little brother have gotten worse, it looks like the family's going to forgo the tradition." By family, she meant the siblings. Her father didn't think much of the movie tradition to begin with. Or any tradition that didn't give him some personal gain, for that matter. "Well, w-what I'm trying to say is—" she paused. This was a bad idea wasn't it?

"Don't be nervous. It's just li'l ol' me," Tensei reassured her, gently giving her arm a very light punch, eyes dancing with levity.

"Y'know what I'm trying to get at, right? With me and Shoto having moved out, and our father not really being one for tradition, or deserters like me, I was hoping maybe you'd want to give this idea a try."

Tensei couldn't help but pull her leg, so to speak, ever so slightly as he pretended to think it over for a few seconds, earning an impatient groan from Fuyumi. The answer was obviously yes, that much was fairly simple to understand, but what'd be the fun of just saying yes?

"I dunno! I mean, the vacation _just_ started." He pointed out with a cheeky grin.

"If you don't want to we don't have to." She pointed out tartly, now folding her arms, giving him a halfhearted stern look.

"Hey, I never said no," he pointed out immediately. "Fine. I'll be there. What time am I coming over?"

"Tonight at eight? I can prep the guest room for you to sleep in by then?" She suggested.

"So you're inviting me to a sleepover? How very twelve-year-old of you." He teased.

"Sh-shut up." She grumbled, but smiled nonetheless. "I didn't have many friends growing up. Just siblings. It gets harder during the winter. Mother used to love wintertime. She always thought things were calmer then." She explained. "But then she got committed. So I only ever had my siblings. People near my age."

Tensei gave a nod. "I get you. Yeah, sure. I'll text Tenya to let him know that I'll be sleeping over at yours tonight. Should be there by eight. Take out's on me though." He added, winking to her.

"Don't you dare," she hissed a retort. "I'm cooking or so help me whatever divine powers exist!"

"Okay! Okay! Fine! We'll do it together!" He replied, as he clicked his keychain to unlock his car. "See you at eight!"

* * *

Tensei was beside himself. She said eight! How could he be so forgetful! He'd even texted Tenya and told him that he'd be sleeping over! And then it'd just slipped his mind. It was quarter to nine before he realized he'd been running over late! He knew that blaming the traffic was a lame idea, so he decided to text her immediately.

[From: Tensei Iida, 8:44 p.m.]  
"Hey Fuyumi! I'm so! SO! Sorry that I'm running late. Physiotherapy kept me busy, and then I lost track of time making my way back home! I'm literally getting into my car as we speak! I should be there in 15, if the address you sent me earlier is correct!"

This wasn't a lie. Wheelchair bound as he was, he had no intention to let his life stagnate that way. He'd been going to physiotherapy as soon as he'd been able to do so.

Fuyumi gazed at the text and heaved a sigh of relief. She'd been worried. Anxious even, about the time that Tensei was taking. What if something happened to him? He'd been dealt with enough bad things in life. She wanted him to enjoy himself. Sure he found good in anything he set his mind to, but still. She wanted it to be easy for him for once.

[From: Fuyumi Todoroki. 8:45 p.m.]  
"Hey! It's OK! Please don't worry about it! I was just hoping nothing bad happened, and I'm glad to hear you're OK!"

Of course Fuyumi would end up thinking of the worst case scenario. She was far too nervous. Life had dealt her a bad hand. A neglectful father. A broken mother, driven mad by him. A brother who'd been hurt to the point of alienation by the very same father. Tensei had been very lucky to have a family as supportive as his own. Even with the injury he sustained, he wasn't bitter. Not in the slightest. Fuyumi however, was nervous. And scared. She had every right to be. She hadn't had much paternal growing up, even though her mother had been there for her for most of her life until she was a teenager, during which time she had to take on her mother's duties and help raise the younger siblings, Shoto included. Tensei could only imagine as to how difficult her own life was. He smiled. She deserved to have it easy for once.

The drive to Fuyumi's was an uneventful one. She lived fairly close by, even though not in the same neighborhood. It was 9:15 p.m. by the time he'd reached her place. Wheeling himself over to her door, he reached up to the best of his ability and managed to ring the doorbell. Fuyumi bustled over quickly enough to open the door for him. "C'mon in! I was just starting on the food. You said you wanted to cook with me, right?"

"Damn right." He replied, grinning, as he slowly made his way to the kitchen, after getting his bearings upon entering the unfamiliar, small apartment.

"Sorry if things are messy." She said, tone sheepish.

"You should see my room." He joked in return, eliciting a laugh from her. Then a fluffy, grey bundle trundled out from behind the couch. Turned out that Fuyumi Todoroki owned a cat. A very fat. Very gray, and very fluffy cat.

"Moko! Careful!" Moko was idly purring, akin to the engine of a sports car almost, with how big the cat was as he rubbed his body on one of Tensei's numb legs.

The man only gave a smile, bending down on his chair to scratch the cat behind the ear. Taking this as an invitation, Moko bounded up to him and made himself comfortable on Tensei's lap.

"Seems he likes me." Tensei noted, a bemused expression playing on his face.

"Seems that way." She agreed. "Take out it is, I guess. You're not gonna get him off your lap any time soon and you won't be able to help me with him on there." She teased.

"Oh no. The utter tragedy," Tensei replied monotonously. He quickly used an app to order some Indian food from a nearby restaurant before slowly transferring himself from wheelchair to couch. "So where's the movie? I don't see a T.V."

"Laptop. Coffee table." She called out before moving to settle down next to him. "What're we watching?"

"You didn't pick?"

"I didn't know what you like?"

"Then we're watching horror."

Fuyumi paled immediately. Fuyumi and horror went like Tensei and spicy food. Not at all. Sure he'd been improving but he was nowhere near Fuyumi's level when it came to handling spice. "You can't be serious!" She exclaimed.

"You never watched horror before?"

"Why would I want to deliberately scare myself?!"

"Adrenaline?" he supplied.

"Adrenaline." She replied, deadpan. "You're joking. Tell me you're joking right?"

"If I can do spicy, you can do horror."

"But you _can't_ do spicy, Tensei!" She whined out. Nervousness at social contact with Tensei was something long gone. Gone were the days when she was reserved around him. Those were early during the friendship. Tensei had broken down those barriers. The only reason she spoke nervously around him earlier today because this aspect of her life wasn't something she normally shared. But now that he was here, it was normal for her to talk openly around him again. And she did. Much to his chagrin.

"But I've been eating the noo-"

"You've been chugging a glass of milk after every noodle serving you've eaten since the first time you tried spicy noodles? Why do you even do it anyways?"

Tensei shrugged. "Because I want you to smile." He said simply. Very bluntly. That stopped her in her tracks.

"Really?" She asked. "That's why? Tensei you don't need to eat spicy noodles to make me smile, you understand that, right?"

"I know I don't need to, but you should see how you giggle when I start hyperventilating." He snorted.

She couldn't help but give him an exasperated smile. "Fine. One horror movie. One." She warned him. "No more than that."

As she settled down next to him, she realized that she was going to have a long night.

Tensei agreed to one and just in time for the take out to arrive. As they ate, Fuyumi grew more and more anxious from the movie. Halfway through it, she had her arms tightly gripped around Tensei's torso, her face pressed into his neck, occasionally glaring at the screen as if willing for the fear to just go away as she clung to him. By the time the movie had almost ended, the takeout was demolished. And Fuyumi was asleep. She still had her arms firmly around him, with her face now buried in his neck.

He didn't want to wake her up. He didn't have the heart. She looked so peaceful. And he damn well couldn't just carry her to her bed. That'd be rude. Not to mention he literally couldn't. So the room she'd prepped lay forgotten as Tensei relaxed against the couch and let her cuddle up to him as he too fell into a peaceful slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

**AIN'T WRITER'S BLOCK A BITCH, HUH? GOTTA LOVE IT LIKE YA LOVE YOUR GRANNY'S COOKING, AMIRITE?**

Yes. I know. It's been like 84 years. Writer's block is fun, isn't it? Gotta love that! Boy Howdy! Here we go! Got some angst for y'all today! Come get your fresh serving of juicy, hot spicy angsty stuff!

As always writing, for me, is all about improvement and I'm glad to follow on that road to the best of my ability. So in the reviews, hit me with your best shot!

Lots of love!

PS: There's a possibility of me writing yet another My Hero Academia fic! It's probably gonna have a fair amount of OCs so fair warning. If y'all don't like OCs then I'm sorry.

It might be a New Hero school n everything. Kinda inspired by IcyHeart12's Welcome to Fireblade High, but I don't wanna like infringe on anything.

TQ Out!

* * *

The morning after the night of horror movies was an interesting affair. Fuyumi, for how socially relaxed and comfortable she was around Tensei these days, was unable to form proper sentences with how awkward she felt about having, for all intents and purposes, used Tensei as a body pillow to cuddle and fall asleep to on her couch.

Tensei, to his credit, took it well in his stride, dismissing her fussing and fears with a cheerful smile. Sure it was embarrassing. But they were friends, right? Friends were there for each other to provide comfort when necessary. That was what was going on. Yep! Definitely. If only Tensei had actually told her how much she talked in her sleep. Things would have definitely gotten more awkward. For Fuyumi Todoroki had been dreaming. And by the words he recalled the dreams she had weren't good.

Despite the embarrassment, the morning was a sleepy one. Stifling a yawn, Fuyumi looked to Tensei, her cheeks still slightly red. "Coffee? Black, right?" She suggested.

Tensei nodded. "Like my soul." He joked, earning a slap on the shoulder from her.

"Tensei Iida, don't you ever let me catch you saying that again, you hear me?" she hissed. "You're a great guy."

"I'm a decent guy with a wicked sense of humor." He corrected her.

She rolled her eyes, but did smile as she left for the kitchen. Tensei, in the meantime slowly lifted himself off the couch and onto his wheelchair.

"So busy day?" He called out to her. "It _is_ the second day of Winter Break. And while I do want to be a good citizen, I have no intention of being productive today." He pointed out, as he slowly maneuvered himself through the apartment, keeping a careful eye out for Moko. The cat had vanished last night. Where the cat had disappeared to was a mystery until he caught sight of Fuyumi scratching him behind the ears as he regally reclined on the counter like the lion he was, gazing over his kingdom. As the cat's eyes fell on Tensei, he let out a low meow before jumping off the counter and right onto his lap, and curling up again.

"Not a busy day. I'm going to stay at home all day today if that means I have to literally lock myself in." She replied.

"We could go out." He pointed out.

"And leave His Highness behind?" She pointed out, nodding her head in the direction of the cat on his lap.

"Fair point. Another movie won't do. I can't have you drooling over my shoulder like you did last night." He joked.

"Hey! I did no such thing!" She retorted immediately.

"Well, then let's just sit and talk."

"What about?"

"You. Me. Our families. Our lives. Past. Whatever."

There was a moment of hesitation. Tensei picked up on it but said nothing.

"I don't know." She murmured, looking down now. "Family's not really an easy thing to talk about."

"Everyone has issues." He pointed out. "You always seize up when I steer a conversation to your family."

"Can we… not talk about this?" She asked, even though her eyes might as well have told him that she was begging.

"Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you want to keep running away from your issues or not. I _am_ your friend, Fuyumi. And I'm still here." He muttered, scratching his chin. "But I can't help you if you don't talk."

"Where is this coming from?"

"I didn't sleep until two in the morning, Fuyumi." He explained.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Anyone ever tell you that you talk in your sleep?"

She gasped. "Oh—oh no. Tensei. What did you hear?"

He said nothing.

"Tensei?" Her voice shook slightly now. "What did you hear?" She repeated.

"I'll tell you if you're willing to trust me and tell me what happened between you and your family." He said. "Deal?"

"So I said something about my family?" She ignored his offer.

"You know what you need to do if you want to get me to talk too." He replied, arms folding.

"Tensei, no. Please. You don't know what you're asking." She couldn't. What he did to her. He couldn't know. He'd never see her the same way. She didn't want pity.

There was another moment of silence. Not like their normal comfortable ones. This one was tense. Taut. "Then help me understand." He told her after a breath. "You know I'm here for you."

She whimpered as she leaned back on the counter, steadying herself with a hand.

"I don't know." She whispered. "I don't know that anyone is."

Tensei didn't waste any time. Rolling his wheelchair over to her, gently he put his arms around Fuyumi's waist, which was the only thing shoulder height for him, and immediately pulled her into a warm hug. He was silent.

"You don't have to say anything then." He mumbled. Fuyumi was shaking as she put her arms around his neck. Gently he leaned against her, face against her torso as he held her in that silent, secure hug.

She broke down. For the first time in years, memories of her family made her cry. She'd been strong for Shoto. For Touya and Natsuo. But that dam broke. She broke down and she fell to her knees, kneeling next to Tensei's wheelchair. Her legs slid out from under her and she sat down on the floor.

Tensei looked at the woman as she cried and didn't hesitate. He gingerly lifted himself up off the wheelchair and shimmied his way down, descending until he sat there on the floor, by her side, with his useless legs splayed out in front of him. Leaning against the cabinets installed in the counter, he curled his arm around her shoulder and let her lean into him. Her head fell against his shoulder as she stared into a spot on the floor, letting the tears flow as she still refused to sob, despite how much pain she was in. She had already cried, but having him down here with her strengthened Fuyumi and she shut down her sobs, though her eyes kept leaking tears.

"Last night, you were talking about Shoto in your sleep." He croaked, his voice hoarse as he felt a lump rise in his throat. "And a few others. I thought Shoto was your only sibling."

She stayed there, silent, a hand reaching up to hold onto Tensei's.

Half a minute passed. Then she finally willed herself to speak. "There were other siblings." She finally said.

"Touya. Natsuo. Me and Shoto. There were… are four of us." She said. "Touya was the oldest one." She explained. "Our father was a U.A. Alumnus. He took part in the Olympics to represent Japan along with Toshinori Yagi." She explained. Toshinori Yagi was probably the most renowned Japanese athlete with the highest number of accolades in amateur mat wrestling, 32. Her father was the second highest at 15 accolades. "Knowing that Mr. Yagi was better than him infuriated him, even though, to us, Mr. Yagi had been nothing if not gracious and humble. He's always been a good friend to the family in times of need. Except father never accepted any sort of help or advice from him. He was too proud. He kept chasing the number one spot." She now looked down. "He married my mother because of her company." She continued. "Her company worked on pharmaceuticals but also worked on physical fitness accessories and equipment. Only the best for him and his progeny."

"You're telling me he married your mother for free stuff?" Tensei spat, venom evident in his tone.

"She didn't object. Couldn't. Father was a rich athlete. She was the daughter of a multibillion dollar health and fitness conglomerate. It was a match made in hell." She hissed bitterly in return.

"She bore him Touya first." She explained. "Touya had issues. He wasn't happy. I… I was a woman." She said simply. "I wasn't expected to be an athlete. I was ignored while Touya was made to train every day from an early age. He was also beaten to within inches of his life repeatedly." The words were now tumbling out of her mouth. She couldn't stop herself. "I was there. I should've done something. He was my brother, but I couldn't. I just stood there because I was scared that Dad would beat me too. Like he beat Touya. Every training day he was bruised at the ribs and the torso because Touya wouldn't do what he wanted. He even broke his cheekbones and nose a couple of times. Because Touya wanted to study science instead of becoming an athlete like him. And then he ran away."

"What about Natsuo?" Tensei asked.

"Father never cared much for a child with a heart defect." She spat bitterly.

"And then came Shoto." Tensei murmured, understanding.

"And then came Shoto." She echoed in agreement. "He beat him too, just like he did with Touya. But this time he used me." She whispered. "He used me by telling me that if I'd taken care of Touya when I was younger, he wouldn't have run away."

Tensei's grip on her hand tightened a bit at that. "Son of a bitch." He growled.

"That's how he manipulated me into making sure that Shoto was well taken care of, ready to take a day of bruising and beating as long as he saw fit. It was my fault, he said, that Touya ran away. He beat mom too, when she tried to stop him. She used to do it a lot more when Touya was around. But she got more and more timid the longer she stayed hitched to him."

"So… what happened?" Tensei asked.

"The funny thing about our hair." She explained. "We inherited both our colors from our parents. The flecks of red in my hair isn't hair dye."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Mom's hair color is white. Father's is red. I have flecks of red in my hair. So did Natsuo. Touya had dad's hair. Shoto's… you know how his is." She said.

"Half your mom's half your dad's."

"Some weird freaky genetics, huh?" She mumbled with a halfhearted chuckle. "Yeah well, one day, my dad beat my mom and she broke. Her mind was too scarred. He'd beaten Shoto and she saw that and tried to stop it, but he beat her. And she…" She stopped talking, steadying herself and swallowing for a moment. She gained her composure. "I was hiding under the table. She took the kettle and poured boiling hot water on the left side of Shoto's face. Where his hair was left. Like dad. She said she couldn't bear seeing that monster in her son and she'd cleanse it out of him. Dad had her taken to the asylum. He blamed the beatings on her too." She said.

Tensei could only hold her close to him and rub comforting circles on her shoulder.

"So that's why you said Touya." He murmured.

She nodded, before curling her arms around his neck and burying her face into it.

"I'm sorry, Tensei." She whimpered as tears started to roll again.

He shushed her, before pulling her close into an embrace. "Shh… I'm here."


End file.
